The Association of Private Polytechnics in Nigeria (APPN) has stated that increasing the numerical strength of the armed forces, along with enhanced intelligence and advanced weaponry, can significantly help in combating banditry across the country.
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Dr. Benjamin Achiatar, President of the APPN, made this remark during an interview with journalists on Monday in Abuja.
He noted that bandits appear undeterred by the Nigerian armed forces, largely due to the insufficient number of personnel and the limited sophistication of their weaponry.
“For these bandits to realise that they can be tackled is very important because they would not want to continue with their violence.
“But so long as they do these things at their own will, not much can be done, look at the people they killed recently in Benue,’’ he said.
Dr. Benjamin Achiatar recalled that although the killings were widely condemned, public attention quickly faded until the bandits struck again in another part of the country.
He stressed that condemnation alone is insufficient without concrete and decisive action to curb the ongoing massacres.
The APPN president revealed that the association has been significantly impacted, as several polytechnics are located in regions frequently affected by the violence.
Due to the worsening insecurity, he explained, students have become too frightened to reside in those areas or enroll in school, leading to a sharp decline in admissions.
Achiatar emphasized that ensuring security is the foremost responsibility of the government, which must protect the lives and property of its citizens.
He added that Nigerians have relinquished their right to self-defense with the expectation that the government would fully assume the duty of safeguarding the population.
“That is why we have police, security men and other members of the armed forces whose numbers is pale in comparison to the 200 million Nigerian lives and properties,’’ he said.
He said that the number of security forces were inadequate compared to the number of youths who are not gainfully employed or doing anything in particular, who resort to armed robbery, banditry and other vices.
“If the government can do nothing but provide security, the citizens can develop themselves.
“So, their primary duty is to provide security, they have to recognise this because even if they provide amenities and infrastructure like roads, people cannot use them because there is no security.
“No one can attend schools because of insecurity, no one can do business because there is no security, so the government has to recognise that this is their most important duty legitimately,’’he said.